The Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnerships to Stimulate (RAMPS) Cybersecurity Education and Workforce Development opportunity, administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) through the NICE program, supports community-based partnerships designed to develop cybersecurity career pathways that address local workforce needs. Effective multistakeholder workforce partnerships will organize multiple employers experiencing skill shortages in specific occupations to focus on developing a skilled workforce that meets industry demands within the local or regional economy.

Overview

The RAMPS program seeks applications from eligible applicants to establish and strengthen collaborative alliances that bring together employers, educational institutions, training providers, and other community stakeholders. These partnerships aim to create sustainable cybersecurity workforce pipelines tailored to regional economic needs. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, and cost sharing or matching is required.

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants: All non-Federal U.S. entities may apply, including:

• Community-based organizations
• Economic development organizations
• Accredited institutions of higher education
• Secondary school districts
• Training providers
• Non-profit organizations
• For-profit organizations incorporated in the United States
• State, local, Territorial, and Indian Tribal governments

Ineligible: Individuals, unincorporated sole proprietors, foreign public entities, and foreign organizations are not eligible. Federal entities may participate as unfunded collaborators.

Partnership Requirements: Applicants must demonstrate through commitment letters that at least one local employer or owner/operator of critical infrastructure (not the applicant) and at least one of the following (not the applicant) will participate: a K-12 school, local State agency, local educational agency, institution of higher education, non-profit organization, or training organization.

Priority Consideration: Priority will be given to regional alliances or partnerships that include an institution of higher education designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity or that received an award under the Federal CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program located in the same state or region.

Current or previous RAMPS awardees are eligible to apply, but sustainment of an existing or previous RAMPS project will not meet the goals of this opportunity.

Award Information

• Expected Number of Awards: 16
• Funding Instrument: Cooperative agreement
• Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: Yes
• Funding Opportunity Number: 2026-NIST-RAMPS-01

Application Process

Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov. Applicants can view the full Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and apply by visiting the opportunity page on Grants.gov. It is recommended to subscribe to updates and track application status through the Grants.gov portal.

Deadline and Timeline

• Closing Date: May 28, 2026
• Posted Date: April 13, 2026
• Archive Date: June 27, 2026

Contact Information

Grantor: Misty Roosa, Management Analyst
Email: grants@nist.gov